Most electronic submissions to NIH on or after Jan. 1, 2009 must use Adobe application forms, with a few exceptions (See NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-08-117). As NIH waits to incorporate the latest updates to the Adobe forms by December 2008, there are two critical points applicants need be aware of:
- New Funding Opportunity Announcements released after Sept. 1, 2008, will not have Adobe application forms for downloading until December 2008. At that time, it will be necessary for you to go back to your chosen FOA to download the Adobe-based application packages. Existing FOAs that were released prior to Sept. 1, 2008, will have PureEdge application forms that will remain active and available until they are replaced by Adobe forms in the December timeframe (with the exception of small business and conference grants which will have new Adobe forms in February 2009). Do not wait for the Adobe forms to become available — develop your research plan components and required application attachments now!
- There are only two versions of Adobe Reader that Grants.gov currently recommends for use with the new application forms — version 8.1.2 and version 9.0.(the versions may change, stay tuned to Grants.gov’s Download Software page for details). Both are available for free download at Grants.gov. Earlier versions of Adobe Reader will not be accepted by the system.
Answers to questions you may have and additional help can be found at the following links:
- Guide Notice #NOT-OD-08-117
- Resources for the Adobe Transition
- Electronic Application Process
- Grants.gov Applicant Resources
Background Information
NIH and Grants.gov have been working toward transitioning electronic grant applications from PureEdge to Adobe forms, which are accessed through Adobe Reader. One reason for the transition is to better accommodate both MAC and PC users; Adobe Reader is cross-platform software. A benefit to this changeover is Adobe Reader’s universality, giving users the advantage of working with a well-known, free, and easily downloaded piece of software.
The transition is now at an impact stage: As stated in the above bullets, many new FOAs will soon be posted online without downloadable application forms. Small business and conference FOAs are not affected at this time. As NIH waits to incorporate the most recent changes to the Adobe application forms, it will also receive submissions from the three Adobe pilots (see related Guide Notice) and examine any glitches encountered by the grant applicants. NIH will work with Grants.gov to correct any issues and fine-tune the Adobe forms prior to their final release in December.
Note: Although the software program has changed, the electronic submission process has NOT. In addition, the new Adobe forms will have the same look and feel as PureEdge forms (except on the budget page, where you will see clear differences).
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